Solar power improves health services at Birchenough Hospital

BIRCHENOUGH Bridge Hospital has become one of the country’s many health centres to offer improved services following the installation of a 50KVA solar power plant at the institution, which has ensured constant power supply.

The Government- funded plant was installed last year and is part of an initiative by the Second Republic to ensure that all public hospitals and clinics are equipped with solar power. The programme is targeting a total of 1 000 hospitals for green energy.

Birchenough Bridge hospital matron Mr Nicholas Sithole yesterday said the plant had transformed the provision of healthcare.

“The solar system was installed by the Government of Zimbabwe in April last year and since then, it has really helped to alleviate some of the challenges we were facing. It is connected to almost every machine in the hospital and this means all departments are operational at any given time,” he said.

Departments that are now being powered by the system include the sterilisation department, the mortuary, the laboratory and the theatre, among many others.

Matron Sithole said the hospital had faced constant power cuts in the past which had affected most of its services.

Owing to high temperatures experienced in Birchenough Bridge, he said the solar power has ensured that the mortuary maintains cold temperatures to preserve the bodies while they await burial.

“We now have lighting in every ward and department and this means nurses can do their work even during the night and this has greatly improved the staff morale as their work has been made easy,” he added.

For the theatre, the hospital used to have standalone generators for cases when electricity cuts occurred while a surgery was in progress. The cost of diesel to power these generators was, however, too high for the hospital.

“Even our standalone electric water pump which used to augment our water supply has been connected to the solar, so we now have water all the time. Usually when there is a power cut, water supply from Zinwa is also cut off, so we now continue pumping our water even in such situations,” said Mr Sithole.

The solar project is expected to continue being rolled out in all urban and rural health facilities nationwide.

Zimbabwe has an abundance of sunshine and this makes solar power a more effective and efficient energy source in the face of crippling power shortages currently being faced by the power utility, Zesa.

Globally, solar power is becoming more competitive than other conventional sources of power.

The healthcare industry has a high requirement for power to run machinery and equipment such as ventilators, MRI machines and CT scanners.

Once installed, the solar system can be operational for at least 25 years and this can significantly reduce electricity bills in hospitals.